Invest Detroit

Martin Dober is Senior Vice President at Invest Detroit and Managing Director of ID Ventures, the organization's venture capital arm. He brings more than 20 years of experience in early-stage technology ventures, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and investment roles.

Patti Glaza is EVP & Managing Director at Invest Detroit Ventures, where she oversees multiple venture funds and a portfolio of over 200 companies across healthcare, IT, materials, mobility, and B2C sectors. With more than 20 years of experience in high-tech investment and operations, she has invested in pre-seed and seed-stage technology startups throughout the Great Lakes region. Glaza holds an MBA and serves on the boards of several startups and industry associations.

Amber Gladney is Senior Vice President, Administration at Invest Detroit. Her experience spans program evaluation, grants management, non-profit operations, philanthropy, database administration, hiring, recruiting, staffing, and supervisory responsibilities.

Briana M. Taylor is a Commercial Real Estate Associate Lender at Invest Detroit with multiple years of experience in financial services and credit risk management. Her background includes roles as a Tax Preparer, Credit Support Specialist, and Credit Policy & Services Analyst, during which she contributed to CRM application development and received accelerated promotion. She also operates a financial education venture focused on teaching individuals about investing, company analysis, and emerging assets, with content delivered through both in-person and virtual platforms.

Carrie Lewand-Monroe is Chief Operating Officer at Invest Detroit, where she oversees strategic initiatives focused on Detroit neighborhoods, external partnerships, and organizational operations. A Michigan-licensed attorney with 15 years of experience in community and economic development, she previously served as Executive Director of the Detroit Land Bank Authority and Michigan Land Bank Authority, and as Policy Director of Detroit Future City.

Damon Hodge is a Loan Officer at Invest Detroit specializing in New Markets Tax Credit financing and real estate development projects. His work focuses on lending to organizations in these sectors.

Danielle Graceffa serves as General Counsel at Invest Detroit. She has experience in real estate finance, corporate finance, and property law, with a background in the civic and social organization sector. She holds a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Eric Thomas is Senior Vice President of External Relations at Invest Detroit. He previously served as Chief Storyteller for the City of Detroit and co-founded Saga, a storytelling agency that worked with businesses, nonprofits, museums, and municipalities on brand development and narrative strategy. His writing has appeared in the Financial Times and Detroit Free Press, and he has spoken at venues ranging from community colleges to MIT on topics including media, marketing, and economic development.

Jason Barnett is Senior Vice President at Invest Detroit, where he oversees the Small Business Fund and Urban Loan Fund since joining in October 2016. He brings over 12 years of experience in commercial banking and underwriting, including a previous role as Senior Loan Consultant at a commercial loan brokerage firm where he managed a lending portfolio exceeding $20 million. His work focuses on providing financial support to neighborhood retail businesses in targeted areas of the Greater Downtown.

Jennifer Hayes is Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Invest Detroit. She brings over 15 years of experience in non-profit organizational management, public policy, economic development, and event management. Her background includes work in board governance, compliance, organizational operations, and project development.

Jermaine Ruffin is Senior Vice President at Invest Detroit, where he works on neighborhood revitalization initiatives. With over twenty years of experience in community and economic development, he has held roles in nonprofit organizations and executive management focused on project implementation. His work centers on sustainable economic growth and equitable development in diverse communities.

Kayla Garner is an Associate in Finance and Accounting at Invest Detroit. She holds a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, and has four years of experience in customer service, financial transactions, and office administration.

Mayra Villarreal-Martinez is a Small Business Support Manager at Invest Detroit, where she designs and manages coaching programs for small business borrowers in Detroit. She provides one-on-one coaching and strategic guidance to startups and established businesses on launching, stabilizing, and growing their operations.

Naomi I. Snyder serves as Associate Vice President, Neighborhoods at Invest Detroit, where she manages community placemaking grants and coordinates partnership initiatives since January 2024. She previously held roles in policy and advocacy, including as Policy Program Manager at Main Street Alliance, where she tracked federal legislation and engaged small business stakeholders, and as research policy analyst at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Center for Policy Analysis and Research. She holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in Afro-American and African Studies from the University of Michigan.

Nicholas Pohl is a commercial banking executive with over 16 years of experience in lending platform development and credit leadership across regulated banks and mission-driven financial institutions. His background includes middle-market origination, multi-state business development, and enterprise credit governance, with particular expertise in building scalable commercial platforms and managing organizational transitions toward disciplined operations. He currently serves as Chief Credit Officer at Invest Detroit.

Oscar Wu serves as Chief Financial Officer at Invest Detroit. He brings experience in corporate finance, financial reporting, analysis, modeling, budgeting, forecasting, banking, capital markets, treasury, investment management, M&A, and strategic planning.

Ross Campbell holds the position of Associate Vice President of Loan Accounting at Invest Detroit. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Wayne State University in 2014.

Samantha Marks is an Office Manager and Executive Assistant at Invest Detroit with experience in C-suite administration, office management, and human resources. She holds a BBA from Walsh College and focuses on supporting executive operations and organizational efficiency.

Siarra Langlois is a Loan Accounting Associate at Invest Detroit with over four years of experience in record maintenance and account management. She works with Microsoft Word and Excel and has been involved in process improvement initiatives across departments.

Willie Mayberry is a banking executive with more than 30 years of experience in financial services leadership. He has held senior roles at Busey, PNC, and Chase managing regional and national banking operations, and currently serves as Deputy Chief Lending Officer at Invest Detroit. He founded TouchPoint Business Solutions to provide financing sourcing, debt restructuring, and financial planning services to small and mid-sized businesses.